Power Of A Wand
by Love From A Muggle
Summary: "Bed time stories were supposed to have happy endings, but Ron's story leaves his children with mixed emotions. Written for Hogwarts Online II September challenge.


Written for Hogwarts Online II September 2012 Challenge which was called "Bedtime Stories"

_Title: Power Of A Wand_

_Name: Love From A Muggle_

_Character: Ron Weasley_

_House: Hufflepuff House_

A shiver went down his spine as he heard the cat's meow outside his window. Oh how he hated cats, but it was his wife's cat and he was to make her happy.

"Ghost stories anyone?" he asked his children Rose and Hugo. They both shook their head no.

"Daddy, we've heard enough 'ghost stories' from the days of the war with you and mum. No more, please!" Rose said.

"Hugo?" Ron had hoped his five-year-old son would say yes, but saw that he was already frightened.

Halloween was days away which made Ron think of the stories Bill and Charlie told him to frighten him.

"Aw. I have a good one about a witch and a rabbit." Ron said in a pouting tone. He then did the pouting eyes his children always gave him when they wanted something. It was Hugo who finally agreed first.

"Fine, daddy, but nothing too scary," he begged.

"Ronald!" Hermione warned from the threshold of their doorway.

"It won't be too scary, 'Mione. Just the one of the Witch with the spells and caldrons," Ron stated honestly.

"Not that one," Hermione said glaring at Ron knowing exactly which story he meant.

"It's not that scary, 'Mione," he said as she rolled her eyes.

"Fine. But when the children come crawling in our bed tonight you'll be the one putting them back to sleep. Come on, Crookshanks, let's go downstairs," she said talking to the cat.

Ron glared at the cat. Somehow she had allowed him back in after Ron put it outside.

"Daddy?" Hugo's voice was already scared.

"Don't worry. Your mum doesn't know what she's talking about. It's a story Uncle Bill and Uncle Charlie told me," Ron said reassuring his son as he sat down on the chair next to his bed.

"_An eleven-year-old girl stood nervously by her bedroom window. For the next day was September first. The day she'd go to Hogwarts for a first time. Penny closed her eyes as she clutched her stuffed animal. She could have sworn she saw fire in her parent's fields. A shudder ran down her spine as she blinked twice. There was fire. The three witches were back in the field again. But no one believed her. They came on the eve of September first haunting Penny's yard for reasons unknown to her. _

_Penny finally had had enough. Being a clever witch, Penny picked up her wand, held tight to her stuffed rabbit animal and silently walked out of her house. Her parents were sound asleep and wouldn't know if she was gone. She stared at the witches before leaving her mum's precious fence line. She knew the warnings her mum always gave whenever Penny was tempted to leave the barrier. Brushing aside the warning in her head, Penny walked out of the fence. _

_As she tiptoed towards the three witches with the cauldron burning a deep green and orange, she shivered once more, knowing they were putting some sort of spell in the cauldron. _

"_Powers of the witches wand, come to thee," the first sister said. She knew the redhead was the first sister for the redhead looked the same age as Penny's mum. _

"_Take the offerings we have provided, throw them in the burning fire," the second sister said. The second sister was the same age as Penny's mum's sister Hellen. _

"_A sacrifice of a white rabbit is needed for the rest, sisters." The third, younger witch reminded them. _

"Daddy, I don't like this story." Hugo admitted interrupting Ron.

"It's make believe. Uncle Bill told me about it too. Don't worry daddy." Rose comforted her brother.

"_We are being watched. A girl from the house on the hill is hiding in the bushes. We can transfigure her into a rabbit." The eldest sister said as she heard Penny's footstep fall upon an unfortunate twig causing it to snap into two. _

_Penny squeaked for she was caught from her hiding place. She dropped her precious white rabbit and ran from the witches. _

"_We can't go back there. You know why, sisters." The third reminded them. For a long time ago they tried kidnapping Penny's mum, but a barrier the sisters couldn't see, but feel blocked them from going into the home. _

"_We still need a white rabbit." The Eldest sister snapped. _

"_I found one, don't you fret," the middle one said causing the two others to stop arguing. _

"_It's fake," said the first sister rudely._

"_Does it matter?" _

"_No, I guess it doesn't. Well, put it in to the fire," the first sister said. _

_Penny had excellent hearing and heard all of this from her mum's fenced in the yard. Penny breathed in a sigh of relief. For the spell that had protected her was the spell of love. Something the sisters did not understand." _

Ron finished his story and stared at his children.

"Love conquers all, right, daddy?" Rose said smiling as she stared at her sleeping brother.

"Right, Rose. This one wasn't scary at all." Ron admitted.

"I'm glad Penny got away from the witches," Rose said yawning.

"Sleep tight, Rose. Don't worry about witches anymore tonight," he said as he picked her up and carried her to her own bedroom.

"Daddy, I'm protected right?"

Ron knew Rose meant she was protected from the witches line.

"Yes, Rose. You're protected."

"Thank you, daddy," she whispered as she drifted off into sleep.


End file.
